Christians from the Diocese of Leicester were recently involved in an act of solidarity to offer support and loving service to asylum seekers living in their local community.
They joined representatives from Leicester & Leicestershire Citizens UK, community leaders and people of multi faiths in the city to visit those living and working in hotels, delivering gifts such as welcome cards, chocolates and flowers.
The everyday action embodied the welcome and support which we as Christians are called to offer those who are displaced and in need of our help, and demonstrated that the community stands with these people, whilst reinforcing the values of compassion, inclusion and togetherness.
Social justice activists and Church of the Martyrs members, Roz Burch and Wendy Bebbington, helped plan the act of solidarity.
Roz said: “The idea came after the news of riots and violence in other places around the UK and it was to make our welcome public and to show solidarity and support for very vulnerable and often traumatised people.
“We wanted to tell both the staff and hotel guests that our alliance of faith groups, schools and charities offer them care, compassion and an opportunity for peace and justice.”
Wendy, who designed the logo for the campaign, added: “We visited the hotels that house asylum seekers, having been informed by the Red Cross, and found a favourable response.”
The planning group who took part in this action are part of a regional and national campaign within CUK called Pathways to Citizenship, which is calling for the process to become a UK Citizen to be shorter, cheaper and fairer, treating every person in the immigration system with dignity.
Roz volunteers and worships with ‘Roots’ IWC (Intercultural Worshipping Community) in the city and supports many of its asylum seekers and refugee members in ‘practical, personal and pastoral ways,’ she says: “This can vary from research, advising and form filling or navigation of ‘officialdom’, to collecting and delivering donations such as food and goods or clothing when needed.”
She added: “For me, being a Christian means following Jesus who was always on the side of the marginalised and oppressed - who came to transform humanity through love, care, compassion, wholeness and healing. He stood in solidarity with the people in his context who were left out, abused and ignored and he came to right the wrongs of society.”
* Citizen UK is running an online ‘Community Organising 101’ training series for leaders in the East Midlands during October. If you're passionate about making a difference and want to learn how to tackle the challenges your community faces, click here for more details.